Olivia Dean facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olivia Dean
Dean at BST Hyde Park in 2025
Born	Olivia Lauryn Dean (1999-03-14) 14 March 1999 (age 27) Haringey, London, England
Education	BRIT School
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2014–present
Relatives	Ashley Walters (cousin)
Musical career
Origin	Highams Park, London, England
Genres	R&B pop soul neo-soul
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar harmonica
Labels	AMF EMI Capitol Polydor
Signature

Olivia Lauryn Dean, born on March 14, 1999, is a talented British singer and songwriter. She has won many awards, including four Brit Awards and a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Olivia signed with EMI in 2019. Her first album, Messy (2023), was very popular and was even nominated for the Mercury Prize. She became even more famous with her second album, The Art of Loving (2025). This album reached the top of the UK Albums Chart. One of its songs, "Man I Need", became a number-one hit in the UK. With other popular songs like "Nice to Each Other", "So Easy (To Fall in Love)", and "Rein Me In", Olivia made history. She was the first female solo artist to have four songs in the UK Top 10 at the same time!

Olivia Dean's Early Life and Education

Growing Up in London

Olivia Dean was born on March 14, 1999, in Haringey, a part of London. Her father is English, and her mother has Jamaican and Guyanese heritage. Her grandmother moved to the United Kingdom from Guyana when she was 18. This was part of the Windrush generation, a group of people who moved to the UK to help rebuild after World War II. Olivia's middle name, "Lauryn," was chosen because her mother loved the American singer Lauryn Hill. Olivia also has a younger brother. The actor Ashley Walters, who was a rapper in So Solid Crew, is her cousin.

Olivia grew up in Highams Park. She has shared that she sometimes "felt different" because she is mixed-race. Her father often listened to music, and they would dance together in the kitchen. Her mother, a lawyer, introduced her to music by Jill Scott, Angie Stone, and Lauryn Hill. Her father introduced her to songs by Carole King and Al Green. One of the first CDs she owned was a song called "A Moment Like This" (2006) by Leona Lewis.

Discovering a Passion for Singing

In primary school, Olivia sang "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie in a competition. She was very nervous and cried while singing, but she still won second place! By age 8, she knew she wanted to be a singer, even though she was quite shy. Her mother encouraged her to take musical theatre lessons and join a gospel choir.

At age 15, Olivia was accepted into BRIT School. This is a special school for performing arts in Croydon that is free to attend. She traveled for almost two hours each way to get to school. In 2020, she said that going to BRIT School was "the best thing I ever did." She first studied musical theatre but later switched to songwriting. She convinced her mother to buy her a second-hand piano. Her passion for songwriting and performing truly sparked at age 17. A teacher showed a video of Paul Simon singing "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This performance "just sparked something" in her.

Olivia Dean's Music Career

Starting Out and First Album: Messy (2017–2024)

Olivia began writing songs when she was 16, teaching herself to play the guitar and piano. At 17, she performed on the streets of South Bank, earning money from passers-by.

She performed at her high school graduation concert. This caught the attention of Emily Braham, who became her manager. Emily helped Olivia audition for the band Rudimental, where Olivia sang backup. Olivia has said she wasn't very good at it because she often sang the main tune instead of the harmony. In 2017, Olivia performed her first big show at the Sziget Festival in Hungary for a huge crowd of 16,000 people.

In August 2018, after Aretha Franklin passed away, Olivia shared a cover version of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" on YouTube. She said it was her favorite song.

In October 2018, Olivia released her first song on her own, called "Reason to Stay." She was also featured on Rudimental's song "Adrenaline" in January 2019. In October 2019, she released "Password Change." After "Reason to Stay" was listened to millions of times, she was offered a music contract with AMF Records and Virgin EMI Records. In November 2019, she released the song "OK Love You Bye" and her first collection of songs, an EP called OK Love You Bye. It was recorded in an old pub that was turned into a studio in East London. That year, she was chosen as a special artist by BBC Music Introducing London.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Olivia moved in with her parents. She spent time connecting with fans online. She worked with Eg White on songs like "Crosswords" and "What Am I Going To Do On Sundays."

In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Olivia went on a special "From Me to You" tour. She traveled around the UK in a bright yellow truck, performing for fans outdoors. The truck was painted with her name, a daisy, and a Black Lives Matter logo. Her second EP, What Am I Gonna Do On Sundays?, was released in December 2020.

Olivia Dean at the New Pop Festival in 2023

In April 2021, Amazon Music named her the breakthrough artist of the year. That month, she performed at The Jazz Cafe after the lockdowns. A video of her performance became very popular on TikTok.

In July 2021, she released another EP called Growth. In August 2021, Olivia performed six concerts in southern England. These shows were part of the Revive Live Tour, which helped bring live music back after the pandemic.

In November 2021, Olivia recorded a version of Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" for Amazon. It reached number 19 on the UK music charts. In May 2023, she performed at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. She also made her first appearance on TV, singing "Dive" on Later... with Jools Holland. In June 2023, she released her first full-length album, Messy. It was nominated for a prestigious music award called the Mercury Prize.

In November 2023, Olivia was named BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year. She performed at Glastonbury Festival 2024, which had been a childhood dream of hers.

In June 2024, she released the song "Time." She also released a cover of The Supremes's "You Can't Hurry Love" in October 2024. In November, she released another song, "Touching Toes."

Breakthrough with The Art of Loving (2025–Present)

Olivia Dean at the BST Hyde Park in 2025

In February 2025, Olivia released the song "It Isn't Perfect But It Might Be" for the film Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Also in February 2025, she performed at the Laneway Festival in Australia and New Zealand, which were her first shows there.

Olivia opened for Sam Fender on some of his People Watching Tour dates in June and August 2025. She also sang a duet with Sam Fender called "Rein Me In", released in June. Olivia performed a surprise show at Glastonbury Festival 2025.

Her second album, The Art of Loving, was released in September 2025. This album included popular songs like "Nice to Each Other", "Lady Lady", "So Easy (To Fall in Love)", "A Couple Minutes", and "Man I Need". All her songs from the album became popular. "Man I Need" became her first number one song in the UK! It also reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. She made history as the first female solo artist to have four songs in the UK Top 10 at the same time.

On November 16, 2025, Olivia was the musical guest on the popular TV show Saturday Night Live.

In November 2025, Olivia spoke out about how tickets for her tour were being resold at very high prices, making it hard for her fans to attend. Because of her efforts, some ticket companies changed their rules to make sure fans could buy tickets at fair prices.

In January 2026, the music magazine Billboard named Olivia "Rookie of the Year." That month, she performed "So Easy (To Fall in Love)" on The Graham Norton Show. The following month, her duet with Sam Fender, "Rein Me In," also became a number one hit in the UK. In February 2026, Olivia won four awards at the 46th Brit Awards ceremony.

Olivia Dean's Music Style and Inspirations

Olivia Dean's music is often described as songs about feelings, from sad moments to happy self-love anthems. She has mentioned many artists who inspire her, including Amy Winehouse, Carole King, Sade Adu, Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Paul Simon, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, and the Supremes. She also finds inspiration in books about love, like All About Love by author bell hooks.

Olivia Dean's Personal Life

Olivia has been in a relationship with American drummer Eddie Burns, who plays in the band for Clairo, since April 2025.

She works with famous brands like Chanel, Burberry, and Hourglass as a brand ambassador. Olivia supports the West Ham United F.C. football team. She went to many games with her father when she was a child.

Olivia believes strongly in equal rights for everyone. For a time, she chose only female directors for her music videos. Her mother is also a leader in a political party that works for women's equality. Olivia has also shared her thoughts on the importance of change in government.

Filmography

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Discography

Albums

• Messy (2023)
• The Art of Loving (2025)

Tours

Headlining Tours

• From Me To You (2020)
• 2023 UK And Europe Headline Tour
• UK & Europe Messy Tour (2023)
• Across the Atlantic Tour (2025)
• The Art of Loving Live (2026)

Opening Act for Other Artists

• Jordan Rakei – What We Call Life Tour (2022)
• Sam Fender – People Watching Tour (2024)
• Sabrina Carpenter – Short n' Sweet Tour (2025)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Olivia Dean (cantante) para niños

• List of British Grammy winners and nominees